James of Oldo was born into a
well-to-do family near Milan in 1364. He married a woman who, like him, appreciated the comforts
that came with wealth. But an outbreak of plague drove James, his wife and their three children out
of their home and into the countryside. Despite those precautions, two of his daughters died from
the plague, James determined to use whatever time he had left to build up treasures in heaven and to
build God’s realm on earth.

He and his wife became Secular
Franciscans. James gave up his old lifestyle and did penance for his sins. He cared for a sick
priest, who taught him Latin. Upon the death of his wife, James himself became a priest. His house
was transformed into a chapel where small groups of people, many of them fellow Secular Franciscans,
came for prayer and support. James focused on caring for the sick and for prisoners of war. He died
in 1404 after contracting a disease from one of his patients. James Oldo was beatified in
1933.

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